You see a beautiful artwork on the wall. The colours burst from the surface and there’s a depth you don’t find in a poster from a department store. Chances are you’re looking at a screen print. But what exactly is it, and why is it so much more than a regular colour print?
A normal printer sprays all colours onto the paper at once in tiny dots. Screen printing works very differently; it is an intensive, highly skilled craft process.
For every colour in the artwork, a separate “screen” (a fine mesh frame) is prepared. The artist or master printer manually presses ink through the mesh onto the paper. If an artwork contains ten colours, the paper has passed through the maker’s hands ten times.
This creates a thick, rich layer of ink you can almost feel. The colours are more intense and vibrant, and they remain beautiful for decades without fading.
At the bottom of a screen print you often see a signature and a series of numbers, for example 24/50. This tells you exactly how many copies exist worldwide. But what does that number mean for the value?
• Is number 1 worth more than number 50?
In modern screen printing the answer is simple: no. Unlike very old etching techniques—where the metal plate gradually wore down and early impressions were sharper—the quality of a screen print is identical from number 1 to number 50. The value is determined by the total edition size; an edition of 25 is more exclusive than an edition of 500.
• The exception: E.A. and A.P.
Sometimes you’ll see the letters E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste) or A.P. (Artist Proof). These are prints the artist keeps for themselves. Because there are usually only a few of these, collectors sometimes regard them as particularly special.
• Why always in pencil?
Tradition! Pencil does not damage the paper fibres and it proves that the artist physically handled the work to inspect and sign it.
People often confuse these two, but they are very different techniques:
• Screen print: Ink is pushed through a mesh screen. The result is crisp, modern, and the ink sits visibly on top of the paper.
• Lithograph (stone print): Based on the natural repulsion between grease and water on a limestone surface. The ink is absorbed more into the paper, producing a softer, slightly grainy look similar to a crayon or chalk drawing.
With a screen print you bring an authentic piece of art into your home. It offers the perfect balance between exclusivity and accessibility. You own an original graphic artwork made by hand, while sharing the costs of the creative process with the other owners in the edition.
